In an access network, in order to support new services, a corresponding control function needs to be added on a device in the access network so that an operation support device can control the device of corresponding access network to support the new services.
The access network may include a plurality of devices supported by the provider support device, such as a lot of Access Nodes (ANs). In order to alleviate the burden of the provider support device due to controlling the devices in the access network, a Layer 2 Control Protocol (L2CP) is employed and a Broad Remote Access Server (BRAS) is used to control devices such as ANs in the access network.
With the application of L2CP in a digital subscriber line (DSL) system as an example, as shown in FIG. 1, DSL physical ports of a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) in the DSL system are divided into DSL physical port partition according to the Service Provider (SP). For example, an Internet Server Provider (ISP) in FIG. 1 directly controls the DSL physical ports in corresponding DSL physical port partition.
In order to reduce the L2C message traffic communicated in the network, an L2CP proxy is provided in the network, in other words, the Interworking Function in FIG. 1 is configured in the network. The IWF is provided between an Ethernet switch and the BRAS and is adapted to filter, detect, aggregate and forward an L2C message according to the AN or ISP. Particularly, the operation of the IWF includes receiving a packet from the ISP, determining the AN corresponding to the packet according to the ISP sending the packet and forwarding the packet received to the AN (i.e. DSLAM in FIG. 1); and receiving a packet from the AN, determining the ISP corresponding to the packet according to the AN sending the packet and forwarding the packet received to the ISP. Thus, a corresponding relation between the ISP and the AN needs to be stored on the IWF and the AN and the ISP need to maintain information of each other respectively. For example, the ISP needs to maintain the physical port information of the AN so that the ISP can send information to corresponding AN.
During the implementation of the embodiments disclosed, the inventor finds that, in the prior art, the physical port of the provider device can not be separated with the physical port of the access device, so that a hidden danger in the system is caused.